The present invention relates to heat retentive servers and, more particularly, to heat retentive servers that are heated by induction.
When food is cooked and then served to remotely located consumers, such as in hotels, aircraft and institutional settings (e.g., hospitals and nursing homes), there is often a delay between the cooked food being placed on a plate or other dish, and the food being provided to the consumer for consumption. Therefore, the food may become cold by the time it is provided to the consumer, unless steps are taken to keep the food warm.
It is known to keep food warm in such circumstances by serving it on a food-carrying dish, such as a plate, that is upon a warm or hot heat retentive server (e.g., serving tray), and some of such servers are configured for being heated by electromagnetic induction. The plate and food may be covered with an insulated, dome-shaped cover having a lower periphery that substantially seals against an upper periphery of the heat retentive server. The heat retentive server, plate and cover may collectively be referred to as a “pellet system.” Such induction-based heat retentive servers or pellet systems have long been recognized as an excellent choice for keeping food warm.
When using such a pellet system for providing food at a serving temperature of 140° F. or higher after one hour, it is conventional for a plate that has been washed to thereafter be preheated to at least 165° F. in a dish heater, and then for the food at a temperature of 165° F. to be placed on the preheated plate prior to placing the plate on the induction-based heat retentive server. It can be disadvantageous to preheat numerous plates, because doing so requires space and energy. Having to preheat numerous plates may also be a safety hazard, since foodservice operators may get burned by touching the plate heaters in certain spots.
Thus, there is a need for induction-based heat retentive servers or pellet systems that overcome one or more of the disadvantages of known systems and/or otherwise provide a new balance of properties.